Hepatitis A News and Research

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Hepatitis A (formerly known as ''infectious hepatitis'') is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water.

Schering-Plough commits to chronic hepatitis C research

Schering-Plough has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the science and treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with several key data presentations at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 42nd annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain, April 11-15.

11 Apr 2007

Freedom from the egg holds much promise for new flu vaccines

An experimental flu vaccine made in insect cells – not in eggs, where flu vaccines currently available in the United States are grown – is safe and as effective as conventional vaccines in protecting people against the flu, according to results published in the April 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association .

11 Apr 2007

Experimental flu vaccine produced using insect cells shows promise

An influenza vaccine produced with the use of insect cells appeared safe and produced an immunogenic response in healthy adults, suggesting promise as an alternative to using embryonated eggs for the development of influenza vaccine, according to a preliminary study in the April 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Apr 2007

Abbott opens biotech facility in Puerto Rico

"This new facility is a key milestone for Abbott as we move to focus our resources and future growth on biologic and potent-drug manufacturing," said Lawrence Kraus, vice president of manufacturing, global pharmaceutical operations, Abbott.

11 Apr 2007

India is poised to revolutionize biotechnology

India's health biotech firms are emerging as a major global player, with growing means and know-how to produce innovative as well as generic drugs and vaccines at costs small relative to those of giant Western firms, according to ground-breaking Canadian research.

10 Apr 2007

Immunological catch-22 with chronic infections

After a viral infection, a small percentage of the T cells generated to kill virus-infected cells remain on guard to establish long-term immunity.

10 Apr 2007

Medical Services International receives increased interest in Dengue fever and Malaria test kits

Medical Services International Inc. has announced that the interest by regulatory authorities and the company's distributors has increased substantially for its VScan Dengue Fever and Malaria test kits.

5 Apr 2007

Hepatitis C virus can block other hepatitis C variants from infecting the same cell

There's infection and then there's superinfection - when a cell already infected by a virus gets a second viral infection. But some viruses don't like to share their cells.

5 Apr 2007

FDA approves Twinrix

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Twinrix [Hepatitis A Vaccine (Inactivated) and Hepatitis B (Recombinant) Vaccine], for an accelerated dosing schedule that consists of three doses given within three weeks followed by a booster dose at 12 months.

4 Apr 2007

Voluntary living liver donors should undergo a careful, but quick, workup

...and their desire for altruism should not be hampered by negativism from the transplant community, say the authors of a new study in the April issue of Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS).

4 Apr 2007

Researchers document rare case of hepatitis B virus transmission

Researchers have documented a case of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission between two patients at a dentist's office in the United States.

4 Apr 2007

Critical receptor in liver regeneration identified

In studies in mouse models, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have found that a cellular receptor involved in triggering cell death is also a necessary component of tissue repair and regeneration immediately following liver injury.

2 Apr 2007

GlaxoSmithKline files European meningococcal conjugate vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the submission of a regulatory file to European Medicines Agency (EMEA) under Article 58 for the combination vaccine candidate Globorix (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitides serogroups A and C).

1 Apr 2007

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B cases at lowest levels ever reported

The three most common forms of acute viral hepatitis in the United States -- hepatitis A, B and C -- declined dramatically between 1995 and 2005, with hepatitis A and B at the lowest levels ever recorded since the government began collecting surveillance data more than 40 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hepatitis B and C are diseases that can lead to liver cancer and death.

15 Mar 2007

Throw out peanut butter from 2004!

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of March 7, 2007, 425 people in 44 states have now been infected with the strain of Salmonella Tennessee found in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter products.

12 Mar 2007

The model for end-stage liver disease

A review of the studies on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) found that it is an accurate predictor of survival of patients with a variety of liver diseases, is particularly useful in allocating organs for liver transplants, and can also be used to help determine the course of treatment in certain cases. However, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the model and efforts at refining will continue.

5 Mar 2007

Increasing numbers of blood collection centers in parts of China contributing to spread of HIV

The increasing number of blood-collection centers in parts of China is posing a threat to vulnerable populations and placing them at an increased risk of HIV transmission, some Chinese HIV/AIDS advocates have said recently, the Boston Globe reports.

4 Mar 2007

Hepatitis B found in sweat of Olympic athletes

A researcher in Turkey says hepatitis B may be contracted by means of sweat during contact sports.

1 Mar 2007

Latest food scare in the U.S. hits Hollywood party scene

Hollywood's celebrities may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus at one of 13 catered events, in particular a Sports Illustrated's swimsuit party.

28 Feb 2007

Key protein - claudin-1- for hepatitis C virus entry identified

For as many as 200 million people worldwide infected with hepatitis C, a leading cause of chronic liver disease, treatment options are only partially effective. But new research by Rockefeller University scientists points to a potential new target for better drugs: a key protein that resides in human liver cells that hepatitis C requires for entry.

27 Feb 2007